Technology continues to improve at such an alarming rate that better models of computers are released every several years. This means that if you are keeping up with the latest technology, you likely have old computers sitting around that you do not know what to do with. They are likely useless to you, but at the same time, it has become more common knowledge that these e-waste products cannot be disposed of with one’s other trash; this makes computer recycling a great option. Recycling your old computers / mobile phones keeps this toxic waste out of landfills, and it provides numerous benefits to the environment as well as your community. Here are just a few of the many benefits of recycling your old computers and phones.
Energy Conservation
Another advantage of recycling mobile phones is that it helps in energy conservation. According to recent statistics, it is found that recycling a single mobile phone helps in conservation of energy required by a laptop to go on for 40 hours. So, imagine the amount of energy saved on recycling 1 thousand or 1 million mobile phones. You may wonder how does recycling help in energy conservation? When the pre-existing material is used or reused, the energy required for production and transportation of new products is saved.
Protection of Environment
Mobile phones, their batteries or accessories contain toxic elements like lead, mercury, which can be dangerous to the environment as well as human beings. When the mobile phones are dumped at garbage sites, these harmful material may get into landfills and pollute groundwater sources. Therefore, it can indirectly harm human beings and all other living things. On the other hand, recycling can help in recovering these metals from mobile phones and their accessories, and put them into use again.
Electronic Recycling Can Help Create Local Jobs
Electronic items that are recycled and are unable to be refurbished and reused are then sent to local electronic recycling plants to be processed. Thus, the more that people in your community decide to recycle their old computers and various electronic waste items, the more need that there will be for people to run these processing plants, which will thus create new jobs in your community.
Instead of holding onto the old computers in your house that are simply collecting dust, consider recycling them. Doing so will be extremely beneficial to the environment as well as to your local community. By doing so, you can feel good knowing you are doing your part to benefit your community
Reuse of Raw Material
Electronic wastes are made of metal and hence, cannot be decomposed in the soil. Similar is the case with mobile phones. Therefore, throwing mobile phones can harm the environment. On the contrary, recycling cell phones can be useful as the metals can be extracted and put into use again. Metals like iron, copper, silver, etc. can be used for making some other products. This will indirectly also decrease the requirement of freshly mined metals. Therefore, the first and the most important benefit of recycling cell phones is: reuse!
Make and save money
Electronics, old water bottles, and other trash can be sold for cash. So if you sell them, you not only save the environment, but make money as well. If you buy recycled materials, which costs less than the new ones, you will also save money. The more money you will make and save if you re-use some of the trash that your home produces.
In Conclusion, the growing e-waste problem can be solved by electronics recycling. Many electronics are made up of various materials, such as metals, which are recyclable. Dismantling end-of-life electronics such as computers and recycling the various materials in them promotes the conservation of undamaged natural resources. Also, it helps in the prevention of water and air pollution that is brought about by hazardous disposal. In addition, it also helps in reducing the amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced as a result of the manufacture of new electronics.